Johannesburg - Two life sentences. That’s the minimum sentence relatives of Lucas Mosiya are demanding after he allegedly hacked his maternal relatives with an axe.
The incident happened in Orange Farm, south of Joburg.
Members of the Motloung family – Puleng, 67, Mantsu, 29 and 7-year-old Kgalalelo – died. The man’s two cousins, aged 18 and 17, were critically injured and taken to Sebokeng Hospital. One of them has since been discharged.
The man also allegedly attacked a 6-year-old, but the child escaped unharmed.
On Tuesday, the family called for a harsh sentence. This was after Mosiya made his second appearance before magistrate Leon Ferreira at the Vereeniging Regional Court.
Speaking outside court, Eazy Sehloho, Mosiya’s uncle, said his nephew was not welcome back into the family. He said the family wanted nothing more to do with him. He added that none of the relatives had paid him a visit in prison.
“Two life sentences would be perfect for him. We were depending on him to take care of the people he killed, but he is a killer… He must rot in jail,” the angry uncle said.
Sehloho said Mosiya’s parents were hurt by his actions. His mother was not well.
“How can she be well knowing that her son committed such a horrible crime? He killed his mother’s mother, his own grandmother,” Sehloho said, adding that the 6-year-old was receiving counselling.
Mosiya is facing three charges of murder and three of attempted murder.
During his last appearance, Mosiya asked the magistrate if he could plead guilty.
His plea was not accepted, and the case was postponed to allow him to obtain legal aid.
The matter was postponed to February 21 to allow Mosiya to go for mental observation at Sterkfontein Psychiatric Hospital.
He was told in court that he was number 69 on the hospital’s waiting list. Mosiya is not expected to apply for bail.
The Star, additional reporting by Sapa